Re: <E36>Req: Hartage/BMP Experience?

[Luis Marques <marques@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: "David S. Garvin" <davidgarvin@domain.elided>
> 1.)  I am looking seriously at some of the Hartge upgrades (the badge 
> DOES look the best, afterall, on my dark blue trunk...:-) ), and
> wondered  if anyone here on the digest has had any experience /
> recommends on Hartge or BMP (who sells the aerodynamics, wheels,
> STINKIN' BADGES)... 

I had an E30 318i with the BMP/Hartge suspension.  It handled awesome. 
Incredibly stable at high speed, razor-sharp turn-in, freeway on-ramps
could be taken at least twice as fast as the posted speed.  Linear
springs and stiff shocks.  The bad part was that it was EXTREMELY stiff
and low.  People would ask if the car had shock absorbers.  And forget
about stuffing 4 adults in the car.  I had to be very carefull with any
kind of pothole or speed bump or even turning into driveways.  Body flex
became much more noticeable and I had to add a strut brace.  Finally,
the Harge shocks  (which from what I could tell were revalved Bilstein
shocks) broke after a little over a year.  Very little resistance and
wouldn't compress completely.  Handled like garbage.  I guess real roads
were a little too much for the stiff shocks.  I called BMP thinking that
since they were Bilstein shocks they would have a lifetime warranty but
no cigar.  Hartge only offered a 1-year warranty so I was SOL.

If the E36 Hartge package is anything like the E30, then IMHO it is way
too stiff, low, and unreliable for a daily driver.  This would be one of
the best handling setups on the track, but I wouldn't accept the
compromise in a daily driver again.  I would at least go for something a
little less stiff like progressive springs and Bilstein Sport shocks.  
HTH

Luis Marques
'97 328i

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